1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of creating real-time try-on experience of wearing virtual 3D eyeglasses by a wearer, and more particularly, to a method for an augmented reality system for creating real-time try-on experience of wearing virtual 3D eyeglasses by a wearer using 2D image-based data for eyeglasses for simulating 3D virtual eyeglasses in real-time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Augmented reality systems for virtual try-on of 3D virtual eyeglasses have been popular in the eyewear industry for promoting and marketing of eyewear products, such as sunglasses and prescription glasses. This augmented reality system has been achieved traditionally by means of using a large number of 3D model data files of eyeglasses. Typically, the augmented reality system for virtual try-on of 3D virtual glasses operate under one of two modes, namely, a webcam mode and a virtual model mode. While in the webcam mode, a 3D head model of a wearer is created by aligning the face of the wearer with an alignment frame to find correct or proper scaling to construct a solid 3D head model. The captured facial image of the face of the wearer is used to create the 3D head model. Meanwhile, the 3D head model is made invisible but yet still aligned with the face of the wearer. Then, augmented reality is achieved by the superimposing of the 3D virtual glasses being disposed on the generated invisible 3D head model. Later, the wearer can select from among many virtual 3D models for different eyeglasses for performing virtual real-time trying-on of eyeglasses onto the 3D head model of the wearer, and the augmented reality system will automatically fit the selected virtual 3D glasses onto the wear's face in real-time. The wearer can then see his/her face as in a displayed mirror image with the 3D virtual eyeglasses fitted onto his/her face. While, in the virtual model mode, a 3D head model of a wearer is selected from several pre-stored sets of selectable virtual 3D head models. Meanwhile, the 3D head model is made invisible. Then, augmented reality is achieved by the superimposing of the 3D virtual glasses being disposed on the generated invisible 3D head model. Later, the wearer can select from among many virtual 3D models for different eyeglasses for performing virtual real-time trying-on of eyeglasses onto the 3D head model, and the augmented reality system will automatically fit the selected virtual 3D glasses onto the face of the virtual model in real-time. The wearer can then see the 3D virtual model's face as in a displayed mirror image with the 3D virtual eyeglasses fitted thereon. Automated continuous movements for both the head of the virtual 3D model in conjunction along with the virtual 3D glasses are provided during the real-time 3D eyeglasses try-on experience by the wearer.
Because of the requirement and need for having and using 3D models for constructing all of the virtual 3D eyeglasses used for the conventional augmented reality system try-on, under 3D data file formats, such as, for example, EASM, EPRT, SLDASM, SLDPRT, STP, IGES, PRT, ASM, XAS, IPT, therefore, all of the virtual 3D eyeglasses are required to be made and stored in 3D model data file format, which consumes a significant amount of time and effort for maintaining these 3D models. As described in a report titled “An Overview of 3D Data Content, File Formats and Viewers” written by Kenton McHenry and Peter Bajcsy, dated Oct. 31, 2008, a conventional 3D image or 3D model data file is typically a data file which holds data for geometry information (such as, sampled version of the object through vertices, edges, surfaces, and surface patches, etc), data for scene information (such as camera, lights, groups of geometry), and data for appearance information (such as vertex colors, vertex texture coordinates and physical material properties, material information). In addition, the 3D model data files take significant amount of data file storage overhead or space, which is thereby not convenient for the wearer when attempting to download the 3D model data of a new virtual 3D eyeglasses from the internet for try-on in real-time.
Hence, a need for improving the method of achieving satisfactory augmented reality experience for virtual try-on of 3D virtual eyeglasses has become an important topic in this field, and thus there is room for improvement in the art.